I have been doing a lot of fascia work lately, and it is helping people, but I feel like I am really beating the crap out of them.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been doing more work with fascia (connective tissue), rather than doing regular massage. Fascial work (as in Myofascial Release) is done without the use of oils or lotion, basically no lubricant. It is where various holds are used to get the connective tissue to release and become pliable again. It can include gliding motions which may or may not feel good. In many cases, they can cause a burning feeling because one is sliding on the skin with no oil to reduce friction. In fact there was a period where I realized I had not used oil for two weeks. These glides are not done quickly so I am not ripping skin off of people.
But the outcome of what this work does is something else. People are being massively changed during these sessions, and unlike other styles, the problems don’t come back, or come back as much.
But a lot of it is combining it with things like Trigger Point therapy. This is where a problem point is found, and then worked until it goes away, usually by constant pressure.
I have one client that is a hair stylist. Initially when he first came to me a few years ago, he was dealing with reduced range of motion and constant pain from working at the level of his shoulders for 30 years. He came to me once a week for a year, and then every other week for a year until he was feeling good enough that he didn’t need to come in regularly. (One of the things about what happens when I help people with major problems is that when they are ‘fixed’, they stop coming in. But it just leaves openings for other people in need to get help.) Since then, he comes in when he needs which is not too often.
Last month, he came in because he was really hurting, and in one of the sessions I went with the fascial work, promising him that I would get to the regular Deep Tissue work that he felt would be the key to helping him. He realized midway through the session that the fascial stuff was making changes that the Deep Tissue did not. He told me that this stuff is the best I have ever done. (Definitely scary.)
The only problem is that he has to go relax for a bit before going to work. It seems I am just totally wiping him out.
I really hate to say things like ‘no pain, no gain’, but sometimes it is true and necessary. I just do the healing work I feel my clients need. Hopefully, it helps them as much as I feel they need.